Albion village officials want DOT to fix Brown Street bridge
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Brown Street canal bridge has been closed in the village of Albion since July 18, 2012 by the state Department of Transportation after an inspection showed serious deterioration of major elements of the steel truss floor system.
ALBION – A canal bridge that has been closed for more the decade hasn’t been forgotten about by village officials.
The Brown Street bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on July 18, 2012 by the state Department of Transportation after an inspection showed serious deterioration of major elements of the steel truss floor system. A pedestrian walkway has remained open.
At a minimum, village officials want the DOT to paint the bridge, put in some lighting and make sure the pedestrian access stays open.
The bridge was constructed in 1912. When it was closed it was among many canal bridges in Orleans County that needed attention.
The state has since paid $10.7 million for major rehabilitations of seven single-lane truss bridges that were constructed between 1909 and 1914. Those bridges were fixed in 2019 and 2020.
They include:
- Bennetts Corners Road in the Town of Murray
- Telegraph Road in the Town of Murray
- Transit Road in the Town of Murray
- Densmore Road in the Town of Albion
- Gaines Basin Road in the Town of Gaines
- Bates Road in the Village of Medina
- Marshall Road in the Town of Ridgeway
The DOT also is working a major rehab of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion, as well as the Main Street lift bridge in Brockport, Monroe County.
Joyce Riley, the Albion deputy mayor, said with all those canal bridge projects either done or being worked on, she thinks it’s a good time to ask the state to look at the Brown Street bridge.
The Village Board voted on Wednesday to have Riley do the paperwork, requesting DOT or the Canal Corp. to pursue Bridge NY grant funding or other money through the state for a major rehab of the Brown Street bridge.
The Village Board also authorized Mayor Angel Javier to send a letter to the DOT to have the bridge at least be painted with lighting added.
The board members don’t want to see the bridge continue to deteriorate. Riley said it’s ugly and a detriment to the east side of the village.
If the state won’t fix it, the bridge should be torn down and removed, Riley said.
Riley said an initial estimate would be $3.7 million to repair the structure to maintain as a safe pedestrian crossing, and another $2 million-plus to reopen for vehicular traffic.
Tearing it down could be a similar overall expense, she said.
“It costs as much to tear it down as it does to fix it, so why not fix it?” she said.
Riley said she was meeting with DOT officials today to see how the village can best present its case for the bridge to be repaired.
